Film jacket



June 9, 1959 J. J. ROMAN 2,889,647

- FILM JACKET Filed sepmls, 1954 INVENToR. JACK J. ROMAN HIS l? T'TOR/UE Y United States Patent OFr FILM JACKET Jack J. Roman, CliftonHeights, Pa.

Application September 15, 1954, Serial No. 456,181

1 Claim. (Cl. 40-159) My invention is an improved jacket for filingmicrofilm with an index system. My film jacket also permits theassemblage of related films in a single jacket for protection andindexing purposes.

Many attempts have heretofore been made to provide jackets or covers formicrofilms and other films which can be readily indexed and which can beexamined without separating the protecting jacket from the film. Certaindifficulties have arisen which have prevented their general acceptance.Among such diiculties was slippage of the film in the jacket, the lackof ready means on the jacket for identifying the lm and the dilculty ofinserting and removing the film. My improved film jackets holds the lmsecurely in place under ordinary usage without the use of any adhesive,or the like, in contact with the film, permits the inclusion of writtenor stamped data on the tabs forming part of the lm jacket, and permitsthe build-np of groups of files with uniformity, and the securingtogether of the jackets containing common subject matter.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a film jacket at lowcost Which is readily indexable.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lm jacket having noprotruding edges which can be readily filed in standard size containerssuch as a check box.

Another object of my invention is to provide a film jacket which willretain the film Without slippage and without marring the surface of thefilm.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a film jacket witha unitary indexing tab and viewing envelope.

The principles and characteristic features of my invention and the bestmode in which I have contemplated applying such principles and makingand using my invention will further appear in the following descriptionand the accompanying drawings in illustration thereof.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved film jacketwith film inserted therein;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my improved film jacket prior tosealing;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, side elevational view of my improved film jacket;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an index card tray containing a numberof my improved jackets; and

Fig. 5 is a view of several of my improved iilm jackets rotatablysecured together at one corner thereof.

The film jacket 1 comprises a folded, transparent sheet 2 having itsopposing longitudinal edge sections 3 and 4 secured to a pair of opposedindex boards or tabs 5 and 6 which are secured together throughout theirlengths and substantially throughout their depths.

The upper portions 7 and 8 of the edge sections 3 and 4, confined withinthe boundary of the tabs 5 and 2,889,647 Patented June 9, 1959 6, aresecured together with a suitable adhesive 9 but the lower portions 10and 11 of the edge sections 3 and 4 are free to embrace the upper edge12 of the microlm 13 whose lower edge 14 rests on the fold 15 of thefolded sheet 2. The thickness of the transparent sheet and of the tabsis greatly exaggerated in the drawings for clarity. The microfilm may beinserted into the jacket by any convenient means.

The normal depth of the exposed transparent sheet 2 is such that it isslightly less than the depth of the film Ito be protected in order thatthe upper edge 12 of the microfilm 13 is always biased between the tabs5 and 6. That is to say, as the tabs 5 and 6 are securely bound to eachother throughout the greater portion of their depth and are bound to thelongitudinal edge sections 3 and 4 throughout their touching portions,by an adhesive 20, the tabs 5 and 6 have a resiliency which biases theedge sections 3 and 4, within the contines of the tabs, against eachother or against the microfilm which may be placed therebetween.

I have found that it is preferable to have tabs of a thickness not lessthan the thickness of one side of the folded sheet 2 and not greaterthan the combined thickness of the opposing sides of the sheet 2. Thus,if the thickness of the unfolded transparent sheet 2 is, say, 5 mils,then the thickness of each tab should not be less than 5 mils norgreater than l0 mils. This relationship results in a durable film jackethaving the requisite compression strength to withstand normal usage andspaces the sheets from each other thereby preventing the tiled filmjackets from distorting or scratching one another.

It is preferable to have the tabs of standard depth regardless of thedepth of the envelope and of standard length, or multiples thereof, inorder that they may be conveniently led within a standard index tray 16,such as illustrated in Fig. 4. An important advantage of having astandard depth of tab is that it provides a uniform amount of space forrecording the data necessary to properly and quickly identify thesubject matter contained on the microfilm held within the envelope. Thebottom edges 17 and 1S of the tabs 5 and 6 form a substantially smoothjointure with the transparent sheet 2. Thus, the outside of the lmjacket presents no protrusions which might be caught within theprojection apparatus, nor does it present any protrusions on which tocatch adjacent jackets when filed in the index tray.

As may be seen in Fig. 5, my improved jacket also permits the securingtogether of multiple jackets by means of a fastener or eyelet 19 therebypermitting the accumulation of common subject matter in a singlegrouping. The latter feature is particularly important when additionalrecords, such as the history of patients in a hospital, are added fromtime to time. It is to be understood that the individual jacketsembraced by an eyelet can be rotated about the eyelet to permit viewingand magnification of the microfilm in the jacket Without interferencefrom the other jackets secured thereto.

The use of the tabs for identification purposes also indicates theproper side of the jacket to be inserted into a viewer, so that theright side up is invariably obtained.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A jacket for storing microfilm comprising a sheet of transparentmaterial folded upon itself to form viewing faces of approximately equalsize, and outermost juxtaposed rectangular boards secured together foronly a part of their depth to form an indexing tab, said sheet havinglongitudinal edge sections adhesively secured throughout their length tothe inner portions of said boards that are not secured to each other,said longitudinal edge sections having rst longitudinal portionsfarthest from the fold that are secured to each other and secondlongitudinal portions closest to the fold that are capable of beingmoved apart from each other upon insertion of the microfilm Within thejacket, and said portions of said boards that are not secured to eachother extending toward said fold in juxtaposition with the iirst andsecond longitudinal portions of said longitudinal edge sections forbiasing the second longitudinal portions toward each other uponinsertion of the microfilm within the jacket, thereby resisting movementof the microfilm.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 976,073Harrod Nov. 15, 1910 1,151,475 Kingsley et al Aug. 24, 1915 1,987,377Stiles Ian. 8, 1935 2,154,510 King Apr. 18, 1939 2,179,884 Fallcoic Nov.14, 1939 2,296,272 De Sherbinin Sept. 22, 1942 2,544,844 Liber Mar. 13,1951

